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How to Start a Project

So you have a project–or an idea for a project–to make life better for the people of DC and you want to bring it to Code for DC? Awesome! We’re glad you thought of us. In order to help us help you, here’s what you should do:

Ask some questions

To make sure that you start down the right path, ask yourself and others the hard questions before work starts:

Who are your users, and what do they want? Have you spoken with any? (Remember to build with, not for)

What is your minimum viable product? That is, what will you be working towards? What are the reach goals beyond that?

What will your product look like? What features does it need, and how will they fit together?

If you don’t have satisfactory answers to these questions, keep researching the idea until you do. Once you do, write them down: they will make a good basis for your README.

Make a Github repo

You may already have one, but make sure that you have a Github repo for the project. This is true even if the project is still just an idea: a repo saves the space, offers some discussion tools, and makes it possible for other people to begin working on the project. The only document that’s really required is a README file explaining (1) what the project is and (2) how to run the project locally, if applicable.

To take the administrative burden off of you, Code for DC can set up a repo for the project in our Github organization. If you want us to do that, just let us know. If you already have a repo, this is still possible: it can be transferred into the Code for DC organization without losing any of the commit history or issue.

Choose a license

This is an important step for the type of open work we do at Code for DC. Without a license, each contribution is copyrighted by the individual author, which can make something of a mess. We recommend using a CC0 license for maximum openness, but there are other popular open-source licenses. You can find one that works for you here.

Once you’ve selected a license, you should include the text of that license in a LICENSE.md file in the root of your repo. Additionally, you should include language, either in the README or a separate CONTRIBUTING.md file stating that contributors to the repo agree to license their work under the same license. It’s also a good practice to mention the license you’ve chosen in the README, as well.

If anybody besides you contributed to the project before a license was applied, or if you change the license, make sure to get their approval. This can be done in whatever way works: in person, via email, or even a Github issue.

Put a civic.json file in that repo

A civic.json file is the metadata file of the type of civic-oriented project we work on here at Code for DC. You can build one right here and validate existing ones here. For instructions on how to fill it out, check out the specifications here.

Let everybody know

Head over to the projects page and submit the project’s repo URL to us. We’ll pull information from Github and that civic.json file and make it look nice. Feel free to send a message out to the listserv, as well, explaining what the project is and what sort of help you think is needed.

Bonus: Make contributing easy

Instructions for working on the project (local installation, pull request standards, etc.) should be clearly spelled out in the README or a CONTRIBUTING.md file.

Use Common and Accessible Tools

When choosing the tools that will be used to build the project, consider the startup time that a new recruit will need to learn how to use those tools. Since Code for DC projects are mostly volunteer projects and are open to non-experts, using tools that are common across projects or that are simpler to learn may significantly reduce startup time and increase the number of pull requests you receive. There is a trade-off between cutting-edge and community engagement, so keep that in mind.

For example, the Code for DC website is built in Jekyll to take advantage of Github Pages. Jekyll has built-in support for Sass, so we have a choice between that and CSS when writing our stylesheets. Sass is pretty useful, but using it would require anybody who wants to work on our CSS to learn an entire new language. As a result, we’re sticking with CSS for now to keep things accessible.

Simple Installation

To allow potential contributors to get up and running on the project quickly, we recommend using tools like the Chrome Dev Editor, Docker, or Vagrant to simplify local installation. Less time installing the project means more time getting work done!

Code for America is a non-partisan, non-political organization working to create low-risk settings for innovation between citizens and government. Learn more about Code for America's mission and its Fellowship, Brigade, Accelerator, Peer Network and Code for All programs.